Thursday morning news: April 30, 2026

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Iran latest »  For the first time since the start of Operation Epic Fury in Iran, House lawmakers questioned top Pentagon officials about the war. 

Democrats like Congressman John Garamendi tore into Secretary Pete Hegseth:

GARMENDI:  You have been lying to the American public about this war from day one, and so has the president. You have misled the public about why we are at war.

The congressman called the war a “quagmire,” but Hegseth shot back:

HEGSETH:  For two months this president has stared them down. He's gonna get a better deal than anyone ever has and ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. I know the American people support that mission, despite your loose talk and words like “quagmire”.

A top Pentagon official testified that the war has cost about $25 billion dollars thus far.

U.S. naval blocked squeezing Iranian economy » Meantime, the U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports is squeezing Tehran's economy—and Republicans say the pressure is working.

Two weeks in, Iran's oil storage tanks are filling up, and the country's main export terminal at Kharg Island is nearing capacity. Analysts warn Tehran may have to shut down production within weeks—a move that risks damaging its oil infrastructure. 

GOP Sen. Tim Sheehy:  

SHEEHY: What's ultimately gonna happen is Iran's oil production's gonna collapse, cause if those wells don't constantly run, uh, the wells shut down. And starting them is too expensive. They either have to burn off the oil, literally destroy it as they're running out of storage, or they have to shut the wells down. So we've got them between a rock and a hard place economically.

President Trump on Tuesday said Iran's economy is in a "state of collapse", losing hundreds of millions of dollars a day. And Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran's inflation is climbing and police and military aren't getting paid.

The president has told his aides to prepare for a months-long blockade. He met Tuesday with oil executives—including from Chevron—to talk about cushioning the global market.

The White House says there will be no letup until Iran agrees to end its nuclear weapons program.

Trump hosts Artemis astronauts at White House » Also on Wednesday, President Trump welcomed the crew of the Artemis II mission to the White House.

TRUMP:  Well, thank you very much. We have, uh, some people that have captivated the attention of the whole world.

The president honored Commander Reid Wiseman, as well as astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen.

TRUMP:  They're very brave and there was a lot of rocket under them. I never saw anything like that.

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman joined them in the Oval Office and reaffirmed that the space agency plans to once again put boots on the moon in 2028.

Comey latest » Former FBI Director James Comey appeared in federal court in Virginia Wednesday, turning himself in on charges that he threatened President Trump—something he strongly denies.

The hearing lasted just seven minutes. The judge allowed Comey to leave with no conditions of release.

He is charged with two counts of threatening the president over a 2025 Instagram post showing seashells spelling out "86 47."

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office:

TRUMP: 86. You know what 86? It's a mob term for 'Kill Em.' You know, you ever see the movies? 86 Em?

And prosecutors say 47 represents Trump, the nation’s 47th president.

Trump called the former FBI chief a “dirty cop.” 

Comey will be arraigned in North Carolina—where the indictment was filed.

Democrats call it a baseless political prosecution. Republicans, though, charge that Comey politicized the FBI during his tenure.

But at least one Republican lawmaker is concerned that case may be thin. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis:

TILLIS: We're setting a fairly low bar, and uh, political physics, like I've said around here for years, is what it is. For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction.

He said he believes “we’re gonna regret this.”

Comey could face up to 10 years in prison on each count, if convicted.

Federal Reserve » President Trump’s pick to succeed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has cleared a major hurdle in the Senate. 

WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has more:

BENJAMIN EICHER: The Senate Banking Committee voted to advance former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh in a 13 to 11 party line vote yesterday.

Democrats claim that Warsh’s nomination is an attack on the Fed’s independence, part of Trump's plan, they say, to seize control of the central bank.

Ranking Member Senator Elizabeth Warren called Warsh:

WARREN: … a Trump sock puppet who is so cowed by the president that he could not even say that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.

EICHER: But the committee’s Republican Chairman, Tim Scott, pushed back:

SCOTT: Kevin Warsh's leadership is absolutely essential now at the Federal Reserve than ever before … I think it's incredibly important that we break the bind of Bidennomics in the households of Americans all across this nation.

EICHER: Warsh told lawmakers at his confirmation hearing last week that his aim is to shrink the Fed’s balance sheet and to deregulate banks.

The full Senate is expected to vote on Warsh’s confirmation in a couple of weeks.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher

King Charles in NYC » His Majesty King Charles III spent much of Wednesday touring the Big Apple.

SOUND: [Tour of WTC site]

The King of England visited the 9-11 memorial in New York at the former site of World Trade Centers.

Anthoula Katsimatides' lost her sister in the September 11th attacks and met with the royal couple. She said she was honored that they came to pay their respects.

KATSIMATIDES: I found it sweet that I was allowed to hug the Queen. I asked her in her ear if it would be possible if I could hug her, and she said yes. She was quite endearing, as was the king.

From there:

AUDIO: [Camilla reads]

Queen Camilla read the first chapter of Winnie the Pooh to children at the New York Public Library:

SOUND: [Charles meets with business leaders]

…while King Charles rubbed elbows with New York business leaders at a trade event.

I'm Kent Covington.

And straight ahead: analysis of the extended U.S.-Iran economic showdown. Plus, one man’s path from convict to culture warrior.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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